Wednesday: Maccabi back in Monaco for decisive Game 5
Oded Kattash's men will look to be the first ever team in EuroLeague history to win Game 5 on the road - and secure a spot in the Final Four. DiBartolomeo: "We worked all season for this opportunity"
09/05/2023
HOME·News Archive· Wednesday: Maccabi back in Monaco for decisive Game 5
Game 5 - That's all you need to know. With a ticket to the EuroLeague Final Four on the line, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv visits Monaco once again on Wednesday (9PM Israel time - 2PM ET) for the decisive game in their Playoffs series. The Yellows will look to become the first-ever team to win Game 5 on the road in EuroLeague history, and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2014.
Maccabi has been led this series by Wade Baldwin IV, who maintains great numbers: 18 points, 5.5 assists and 4.8 boards per game. Lorenzo Brown delivers as well, with 16.2 points and 4.8 dishes per game in the series. Meanwhile, Mike James is the opposing team's leader in scoring with 15 PPG, to go along with 4.5 assists.
"It's a big game for us", said Oded Kattash just before taking off to the French Riviera, "We've been through an amazing journey with the new team we built. We are proud to be where we are at and have this opportunity to do something special. It will not be easy, just like the previous games. Our goal is to control the tempo of the game".
Maccabi's team captain, John DiBartolomeo, added: "The teams know each other very well. We know what works best for us and that's controlling their guards, controlling the defensive rebounds and getting out on transition - that's been a strength of us all season. It will be a challenge, but it's a great opportunity for us. We worked hard to earn it and I know we'll be ready".
Maccabi's EuroLeague season end with defeat in Monaco
In a hard-fought Game 5, the french rivals ran away to a 97:86 victory to punch their ticker to the Final Four. Baldwin had 27 points. On Sunday: Back to the local league with the Tel Aviv Derby
10/05/2023
HOME·News Archive· Maccabi's EuroLeague season end with defeat in Monaco
It was a hard-fought battle, but it ended with a heartbreak for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. The Yellows ended their EuroLeague journey with a 86:97 defeat at Monaco in Game 5 of the playoffs, with the French team reaching the Final Four.
Oded Kattash's men had their sights set on becoming the first-ever EuroLeague team to win Game 5 on the road, and things looked good when they led 79:76 entering the final five minutes of the game. But Monaco scored 10 straight points, in large part because of defensive errors that sent Jordan Loyd to the line. From that point on, the home team took over and ran away with the win.
Wade Baldwin was Maccabi's main man, as he has been throughout the series. The American guard scored 27 points, while alse dishing 7 assists and grabbing 6 rebounds. Jarell Martin and Lorenzo Brown added 12 points each, while both John DiBartolomeo and Darrun Hilliard had 10.
Maccabi will now have to switch gears and approach the final goal of the season: winning the Israeli championship. It starts on Sunday at Menora with the Tel Aviv Derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv, in the regular season's last game. A win will secure Maccabi's top spot in the standings and home court advantage throughout the playoffs.